Fastening rear bike packs/racks?

The velcro fasteners on my current rack bag are dying and I need a new
bag. This one lasted two or three years of pretty much year-round
commuting so not too bad. I'm hard on the bag.

The LBS had a nice bag with all the features I want for around $65.
More expensive than I want of course. It apparently is made to fit
onto a rear rack without using the velcro loops.The rack is around
$40.

I couldn't remember the system but it was three letters beginning with
M, and having just hunted around I think it was the MTX (Topeak)
system and bag.

It IS a pain to attach/detach the velcro straps each day, and is even
worse that they're not really holding anymore. Just slipping the thing
on and off would be very convenient.

Does anyone have experience with this type of system?

dgk wrote:
The velcro fasteners on my current rack bag are dying and I need a new
bag. This one lasted two or three years of pretty much year-round
commuting so not too bad. I'm hard on the bag.

The LBS had a nice bag with all the features I want for around $65.
More expensive than I want of course. It apparently is made to fit
onto a rear rack without using the velcro loops.The rack is around
$40.

I couldn't remember the system but it was three letters beginning with
M, and having just hunted around I think it was the MTX (Topeak)
system and bag.

It IS a pain to attach/detach the velcro straps each day, and is even
worse that they're not really holding anymore. Just slipping the thing
on and off would be very convenient.

Does anyone have experience with this type of system?

I have a Topeak trunk bag. It's only a year or two old, but has been
reliable so far, including surviving intact a crash that disabled me for
three months.
My previous trunk bag was a Lone Peak that attached with buckles
instead of Velcro. I liked that bag even better, and I'd still be using
it except that I overloaded it a few times, and eventually ruined the
zipper.
I'm not sure if Lone Peak still makes buckle bags, though. If they
don't you might want to look on eBay.


Regards,
Bill (Frumious)

__o |
_`\(,_ | There's no present like the time.
(_)/ (_) |

dgk wrote:

Does anyone have experience with this type of system?

I have two of the Lone Peak buckle bags that I like very much. They have
a lifetime warranty, though if you send one back for repairs they will
claim that any failure is your fault and they will charge you a small
fee for repairs. They hold much better than hook and loop fastened bags,
but they take just as long to attach to the rack.

The Lone Peak bag is pricey at $60, see
"http://www.lickbike.com/productpage.aspx?PART_NUM_SUB=%273648-01%27".

The slide on system you're thinking of is Topeak MTX.

There are several MTX racks, and many Topeak bags that attach to this rack.

See "http://www.rei.com/search?query=topeak+mtx&button.x=53&button.y=13"

On Tue, 28 Apr 2009 15:00:31 +0000 (UTC),
wrote:

dgk wrote:
The velcro fasteners on my current rack bag are dying and I need a new
bag. This one lasted two or three years of pretty much year-round
commuting so not too bad. I'm hard on the bag.

The LBS had a nice bag with all the features I want for around $65.
More expensive than I want of course. It apparently is made to fit
onto a rear rack without using the velcro loops.The rack is around
$40.

I couldn't remember the system but it was three letters beginning with
M, and having just hunted around I think it was the MTX (Topeak)
system and bag.

It IS a pain to attach/detach the velcro straps each day, and is even
worse that they're not really holding anymore. Just slipping the thing
on and off would be very convenient.

Does anyone have experience with this type of system?

I have a Topeak trunk bag. It's only a year or two old, but has been
reliable so far, including surviving intact a crash that disabled me for
three months.
My previous trunk bag was a Lone Peak that attached with buckles
instead of Velcro. I liked that bag even better, and I'd still be using
it except that I overloaded it a few times, and eventually ruined the
zipper.
I'm not sure if Lone Peak still makes buckle bags, though. If they
don't you might want to look on eBay.


Regards,
Bill (Frumious)

__o |
_`\(,_ | There's no present like the time.
(_)/ (_) |


The lone peak bag looks good but the Topeak bag connector seems to get
great reviews. I really do hate getting the bag on the rack. Since
this is the new LBS, I'd like to support them a bit. They have a great
location, just off the exit ramp from the Queensboro Bridge in NYC. I
pass them three times a week.

dgk wrote:

The lone peak bag looks good but the Topeak bag connector seems to get
great reviews. I really do hate getting the bag on the rack. Since
this is the new LBS, I'd like to support them a bit. They have a great
location, just off the exit ramp from the Queensboro Bridge in NYC. I
pass them three times a week.

Ah, I rode in that area two weeks ago, along the greenway. The section
where you have to be on the street because the U.N. won't allow the
greenway between the river and their buildings, was a bit harrowing, but
all in all it was the highlight of the trip to NYC. I rented from Pedal
Pushers on 2nd Avenue. Not the friendliest people (or maybe it's just
NYC!), and the selection of rental bicycles wasn't great either, but
they had the cheapest rental prices. Bicycle rentals must be hugely more
profitable than bicycle sales!

dgk wrote:

The LBS had a nice bag with all the features I want for around $65.
More expensive than I want of course. It apparently is made to fit
onto a rear rack without using the velcro loops.The rack is around
$40.

I couldn't remember the system but it was three letters beginning with
M, and having just hunted around I think it was the MTX (Topeak)
system and bag.

It IS a pain to attach/detach the velcro straps each day, and is even
worse that they're not really holding anymore. Just slipping the thing
on and off would be very convenient.

Does anyone have experience with this type of system?



I've probably got the smaller sibling of the bag you're looking at.

I've been using an MTX Trunk Bag EX on my commute for about a year now,
usually 4 days per week.
It's attached to a QR seatpost beam rack that I switch between my 2 bikes.

The bag comes off nightly and goes back on in the morning. It's trivial
to take it off and just a few seconds to line it up properly to put it
back on.
After a year, I have no additional "play" in the bag/rack connection -
it still securely holds the bag. The bag is holding up fine too, no
problems with the zipper but I'm not hard on it either.

There's quite a few reviews on amazon for the DXP bag:
http://preview.tinyurl.com/dn3lfg

On Tue, 28 Apr 2009 12:40:27 -0700, SMS
wrote:

dgk wrote:

The lone peak bag looks good but the Topeak bag connector seems to get
great reviews. I really do hate getting the bag on the rack. Since
this is the new LBS, I'd like to support them a bit. They have a great
location, just off the exit ramp from the Queensboro Bridge in NYC. I
pass them three times a week.

Ah, I rode in that area two weeks ago, along the greenway. The section
where you have to be on the street because the U.N. won't allow the
greenway between the river and their buildings, was a bit harrowing, but
all in all it was the highlight of the trip to NYC. I rented from Pedal
Pushers on 2nd Avenue. Not the friendliest people (or maybe it's just
NYC!), and the selection of rental bicycles wasn't great either, but
they had the cheapest rental prices. Bicycle rentals must be hugely more
profitable than bicycle sales!

My understanding is that they will be extending the path past the UN
but it will take a few years. That run from the bridge to finally
connect to the path at 34 street is a bit nasy. Sometimes going up 1st
ave around 5pm the traffic is at a total standstill. Even a bike has
trouble getting by.

On Tue, 28 Apr 2009 16:43:11 -0700, J Brown
wrote:

dgk wrote:

The LBS had a nice bag with all the features I want for around $65.
More expensive than I want of course. It apparently is made to fit
onto a rear rack without using the velcro loops.The rack is around
$40.

I couldn't remember the system but it was three letters beginning with
M, and having just hunted around I think it was the MTX (Topeak)
system and bag.

It IS a pain to attach/detach the velcro straps each day, and is even
worse that they're not really holding anymore. Just slipping the thing
on and off would be very convenient.

Does anyone have experience with this type of system?



I've probably got the smaller sibling of the bag you're looking at.

I've been using an MTX Trunk Bag EX on my commute for about a year now,
usually 4 days per week.
It's attached to a QR seatpost beam rack that I switch between my 2 bikes.

The bag comes off nightly and goes back on in the morning. It's trivial
to take it off and just a few seconds to line it up properly to put it
back on.
After a year, I have no additional "play" in the bag/rack connection -
it still securely holds the bag. The bag is holding up fine too, no
problems with the zipper but I'm not hard on it either.

There's quite a few reviews on amazon for the DXP bag:
http://preview.tinyurl.com/dn3lfg


Much cheaper than the LBS. I'm willing to let him make a profit (how
nice of me!) but he's going to have to come down a bit.

dgk wrote:

My understanding is that they will be extending the path past the UN
but it will take a few years. That run from the bridge to finally
connect to the path at 34 street is a bit nasy. Sometimes going up 1st
ave around 5pm the traffic is at a total standstill. Even a bike has
trouble getting by.

It was bad just at 11am because of all the double-parked delivery trucks.

Someone told me that the UN had "security concerns" about the path
running between the river and their buildings. Hopefully they can work
that out. Also the around the bottom tip of Manhattan has too many
tourists clogging the path. They need to ban pedestrians.

On Wed, 29 Apr 2009 09:00:18 -0400, dgk wrote:

On Tue, 28 Apr 2009 16:43:11 -0700, J Brown
wrote:

dgk wrote:

The LBS had a nice bag with all the features I want for around $65.
More expensive than I want of course. It apparently is made to fit
onto a rear rack without using the velcro loops.The rack is around
$40.

I couldn't remember the system but it was three letters beginning with
M, and having just hunted around I think it was the MTX (Topeak)
system and bag.

It IS a pain to attach/detach the velcro straps each day, and is even
worse that they're not really holding anymore. Just slipping the thing
on and off would be very convenient.

Does anyone have experience with this type of system?



I've probably got the smaller sibling of the bag you're looking at.

I've been using an MTX Trunk Bag EX on my commute for about a year now,
usually 4 days per week.
It's attached to a QR seatpost beam rack that I switch between my 2 bikes.

The bag comes off nightly and goes back on in the morning. It's trivial
to take it off and just a few seconds to line it up properly to put it
back on.
After a year, I have no additional "play" in the bag/rack connection -
it still securely holds the bag. The bag is holding up fine too, no
problems with the zipper but I'm not hard on it either.

There's quite a few reviews on amazon for the DXP bag:
http://preview.tinyurl.com/dn3lfg


Much cheaper than the LBS. I'm willing to let him make a profit (how
nice of me!) but he's going to have to come down a bit.

He came down a bit and I bought the rack and pack. I took me about 20
minutes to get it installed and so far I love it. The pack just slips
right on, and is very sturdy.